Tokyo Tides
by slipshodsliver
Summary: Before two gamers stepped foot on the shores of Japan, darker shadows begin to appear. When it's truth against the world, who do you bet on? Occurs before the events of Megatokyo proper. Reviews appreciated.
1. Chapter 1: The Assignment

Disclaimer: I do not own Megatokyo, which is owned by Fred Gallagher, or the Megatokyo RPG, whose material was created by many devoted fans. I also am not responsible for the D20 Modern system, its materials, or factions used herein. I would like to thank everyone involved with creating this material for the inspiration it has provided and everyone who has supported me in this project. And I'd like to thank wikipedia for the minimal research it has allowed me.

**Tokyo Tides – Chapter 1: The Assignment**

It was an alley in some dark corner of Shinjuku, devoid of all life. From the shadows emerged two teenagers, spraypaint cans at the ready. One pointed to a dumpster.

"Here?"

"Yeah."

They laughed as they ready to tag it. As they approached, they had to close their nose at the rancid smell of it. But they held their nose and didn't care. They had done this countless times before, each mark an expansion of their turf. Those police had tried to stop them, and they had done a few stints in jail and paid a few fines. It didn't matter; they wouldn't be stopped from achieving their true glory. They weren't sure what it was at the moment, but it would come to them. For now, all that mattered was the tonight's little stunt. They shook the paint cans up and the hissing echoed through an alley that was devoid of all life save for them.

And then the dumpster shook.

"...Whoa. What the hell was that?"

Kasu sand Oniji stopped and looked at each other. Kasu spoke first, "You think there's someone inside?" "A bum. Probably why this dumpster stinks so much. Let's show him what happens when you bother our work," Oniji replied. Kasu gave a wicked grin and gestured to the dumpster. "After you." Oniji began to lift himself into the dumpster. Then he stopped. He shifted a few bags of trash. Shock spread across his face as he yelled, "Oh my God, Kasu, I think he's"

That's when the dumpster lid fell. Oniji screamed as the lid landed across his back. The screams continued as Kasu lifted the led and began to pull him out. A second later, the lid fell again, this time on Oniji's head. The impact was so hard that the lid rebounded.

Oniji fell, lifeless, to the ground.

Seconds passed. Kasu stared. And then he did what came naturally: he ran.

It was an alley in some dark corner of Shinjuku, devoid of all life.

**

An hour passed, and the alley in Shinjuku had been cordoned off with police tape. One police car. One puddle of blood. Two cans of spraypaint. Two officers were looking over the scene. It was Isei's turn to hold the camera and take the pictures of the crime scene.

"Kid probably walked into a mugging and got himself knocked out. Let's call the forensics crew and see what they find."

A large garbage truck pulled up. The man inside called out to the two police officers, "Excuse me, but I need pass through here and pick up the dumpster. I'll only take a few minutes." The two officers stared at him and looked around, quite surprised. They shrugged to each other and Isei responded, "There's no dumpster here." The driver facepalmed. "Not again." "Again?" The driver sighed. "This dumpster? Keeps getting stolen once a month or so, and takes us a few days to find each time. Probably some gang playing jokes. My company's been making reports to you cops each time, but you haven't done much."

Isei got out his clipboard to take another report. Seitaro got out his radio. "Dispatch, we've got blood and a possible kidnapping. A stolen dumpster too."

**

In a police department in Tokyo, Masamichi entered an office and sat at a desk. Someone was dead. Masamichi usually sat at this desk because someone was dead. Inspector Sonoda Masamichi had been part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force for almost a decade, and had been promoted to Homicide Division within the last year. He had joined law enforcement to put food on his family's table, and to help maintain the peace in his city. The former was working out a lot better than the latter, but he had no intention of failing either. He was already earning a reputation at catching the strange little details of a scene that everyone else seemed to miss. He'd need it for this.

Masamichi was sitting at this desk across from his superior, Inspector Ohta Nobuo. Nobuo took out a folder with some pictures and started explaining. "Last night, we received a call saying that someone needed medical help in an alley in Shinjuku. Took him a while for him to give actual directions, but police found the alley he was talking about. Nubuo passed him the first photo. "That's the alley. We found some blood, and an employee for municipal waste disposal told us that someone had stolen the dumpster."

Nubuo passed Masamichi a second photo. It was a picture of an accident scene. A red Toyota had crashed into a trash dumpster... in the middle of street. "About a half-hour after the initial emergency call, police responded to an accident about a mile away. It looks like someone had tried to push the dumpster across the street when a car crashed into it. The driver's being treated in the hospital."

Masamichi stared at the picture for several minutes. He didn't understand, but something felt off. He could almost tell that the dumpster was _different_. He racked his mind and tried to think of how it was different. The answer kept escaping him, but he knew there had there was something wrong about it. "And the dumpster?"

Nobuo took out more pictures. "We wheeled it away to where we keep the impounded cars. It's tied down at the lot..." Masamichi responded, "Tied down?" Nobuo snorted, "Damn thing tipped over and crushed one of the lot employees! We still don't know how it happened. The surveillance video just shows it tipping over on top of him. He's in a coma as we speak."

Masamichi shook his head, "Nobuo-san... that doesn't make any sense and you know it!"

Nubuo glared. "I know it doesn't! We're going to look into that as soon as we finish this investigation." He pulled out some more pictures. "We found two corpses inside the dumpster. They're doing the autopsies as we speak." Masamichi took the photos and had to refrain from gagging. The dumpster itself was covered with blood. One of the coprses looked like it had just been killed. But the other... it looked as if his corpse had been flayed. Nobuo continued, "But from the look of the second one, whoever did this has probably been doing it for some time. Masamichi gave the pictures back. "That bastard. Please tell me you have something to go on."

"We have a suspect."

Masamichi was stunned. "Already?!"

Nobuo pulled out another folder with fingerprints and a mugshot. "Dai Kasu. Arrested multiple times for acts of vandalism. His fingerprints match those on the cans of spraypaint. He's also the one who called us. We need you to bring him in and question him. Masamichi nodded, gave everything back, and left. Within minutes he was in his patrol car, driving to Dai Kasu's apartment and mulling over everything in his mind. None of it made sense. Someone going from tagging to murder wasn't unheard of, but wouldn't explain the phone call or the second corpse. And that dumpster... why would it be so important to whoever did this? The dumpster was more than a place to stash the corpses, but the very thought struck him as insane.

But then, whoever did this was insane. Masamichi parked, climbed up the stairs, and knocked. A teenager opened the door.

"Dai Kasu, Inspector Sonoda Masamichi. You need to come with me."

**

"You know this person?"

"Yeah, he's a friend of mine. His name is Oniji."

"We know. He's dead."

"I.. When he fell..."

"About that..."

**

"Just tell me what you did to him."

"I didn't go anything!"

**

"You ran because you didn't want to get caught. I understand that"

"I was scared, okay?!"

"Of us finding you."

"I called you guys!"

"After you had left the scene."

**

"What were your friends trying to do, moving the dumpster?"

"It was just the two of us! No one else was there!"

"Why did you move it?"

"I didn't move it!"

"Then who did?"

"I don't know!"

**

"We need your help on this, please. Just tell us who this is."

"I don't know!"

"You know who did this to him?"

"No!"

**

A teary-eyed Kasu was led away in handcuffs. An exhausted Masamichi buried his face in his hands. Nobuo walked in and sighed. "Four hours and he didn't break. Kid's tough. Masamichi raised his head. "I don't know how many times we went over everything. You know, I'm starting to think that he was telling the truth." Nobuo laughed, "Right. The dumpster lid falls on the guy twice. Then some person comes out of nowhere, stuffs him in, and rolls it away. You really believe that?" Masamichi took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. "I don't know what to believe. The forensics people find anything?"

Nobuo took a deep breath and started, "Oniji's death was caused by a massive blow to the head, probably caused by the dumpster lid. He was hit once more, across the back."

"So Kasu's story-"

Nobuo interrupted. "Now, we haven't identified the other victim, yet. It's hard to say exactly, but the coroners believe that he received multiple blows across his entire body. So he is probably where all the blood on the dumpster came from. They're doing DNA analysis, but that can take weeks. Now, they ran a couple tests. It looks like both bodies were exposed to large amounts of acid."

Now it was Masamichi's turn to interrupt, "Acid. You're serious."

"Always," Nobuo replied. "We found some samples of it leaking into the garbage and on the bodies. Tests say it's similar to stomach acid and..."

Masamichi stood up and tried to clear his head. It didn't work.

Nobuo continued. "Sonoda Masamichi, no one doubts your commitment. But this is too much for us. I've contacted the Public Security Bureau, and they're going over the evidence now. Finish out the day and go home."

**

The rest of the day was a blur; all Masamichi could think about was that case. He didn't like that this had slipped away from it. It didn't help that the whole thing still made no sense. He made his way home and slipped in.

"Another long day, dear?"

His wife, Sonoda Meimi was there. The jacket he had been wearing was already in her hands. Masamichi only shook his head. "Someday I'm going to figure out how you do that." Meimi laughed, " I know you will. How was your day?" Masamichi shook his head. "Long day. Some nut went and..." He raised his hands. "I'm sorry. It's being handled. How was your day?" "Same old, same old," Meimi replied. Masamichi nodded, "Good, good. And the kids?" "They're doing fine and..." Meimi stopped. "You're tired. Eat some dinner and come to bed."

Masamichi looked at her and smiled. "Thanks. I'd like that."

He'd solve that case; he was sure of that. But for now, that could wait.


	2. Chapter 2: The Instigators

Disclaimer: I do not own Megatokyo, which is owned by Fred Gallagher, or the Megatokyo RPG, whose material was created by many devoted fans. I also am not responsible for the D20 Modern system, its materials, or factions used herein. I would like to thank everyone involved with creating this material for the inspiration it has provided and everyone who has supported me in this project. And I'd like to thank wikipedia and google for what they have provided me.

**Tokyo Tides – Chapter 2: The Instigators**

_It could wait,_ Masamichi had decided. The prime suspect was in custody and the dumpster was secure. He'd hand the case off in the morning, and probably start a new investigation. He didn't like having someone else solve his cases, but he was in no position to judge. The case kept him awake longer than he had intended, but he fell asleep eventually.

**

In a low-rent apartment, a phone rang. Two people woke up and stared at each other as best they could in the darkness.

"It's them."

A second ring.

"I've got it."

A half-dressed man stumbled in the middle of the night to pick up the receiver. He tried not to sound like someone who had woken up 30 seconds ago. They probably didn't care. "Sho."

"Your target has been intercepted. Eliminate it after the cue in 45 minutes. Maintain contact. Accept costs." Directions, followed by a click, followed by a dial tone. Sho put down the reciever.

"Maintain contact." Sho glared. Their contact would be coming maintain communication via walkie-talkie. They had never seen him, and neither sought the opportunity. "Accept costs." Sho glared again. It was the little euphemism they used to remind him that any collateral damage was unimportant in comparison with completing the mission. Of course, this never included themselves. That wouldn't serve the greater good.

Keiko called out. "Was that them?" "Yeah," Sho replied. "We've got work to do.

**

They began to load their backpacks. Lighter fluid, matches, drugged meat, bolt cutters... From what they knew about the enemy and its position, these would probably be the most relevant pieces of equipment, but by no means the only ones they carried. They equipped weapons too, to be used when ready. Then they thought back to when they first encountered the Fellowhip – a female agent appearing out of nowhere to save them with a few silver bullets. Since then they had carried out the scene themselves multiple times. They had saved many lives, and taken others.

For all their scars and nightmares, for all the blood that had gathered on their hands, the Fellowship provided what they needed to do their jobs and nothing more. Each of them had lost more than one job over the conflict of priorities. Each of them had risked being thrown into prisons or an insane asylum. And they had no one to share their burden with; no one that cared, anyways. The worst parts were those that had not changed. They still scraped by from paycheck to paycheck. They still lived in some hole in the wall, living between phone calls from some shadow. They slept, knowing only that they would feel worse in the morning.

They were ready to go. Keiko spoke quietly and gestured towards her backpack, "I wish we had more help than this."

Bikes. Sho and Keiko rode through the dead of night on bikes, with only the moon to keep them company. Keiko tried to break the tension. "Sho?" Several moments passed. Sho replied, "Money coming out their asses, and this is what we get." Keiko nodded. "We're not... they still don't think we're part of them." "They can't do this alone, so they rope us in. We can't do this either, so where does that put us?" "If people knew-" "They don't know." Sho spat. "And we're the reason they don't know. We keep putting these things down, and the higher-ups paper everything over. People sleep, and they never realize how close they came to being some ghoul's snack."

They rode in silence for some time. "But what do we do?" Keiko said sadly. "We can't force them to see the truth. With all the imagination and culture and fiction everyone reads around here, you'd think they'd recognize it better." Sho shook his head. "If only it worked that way. Everyone has their heads in so deep it just makes it easier for the monsters to hide. You could stick an army of monsters in a warehouse, take pictures, and everyone would call it a cosplay convention." Keiko shook her head. "I can't stand it, Sho-san. We have to find a way to make them realize-"

"That's not your job. You two know that."

The riders came to a dead stop. Sho picked up his walkie-talkie and didn't bother pushing any buttons.

"You! You had this thing rigged the whole time!"

"I did. I said I would maintain contact. You should be reaching your target in a few minutes, so remember to"

"Screw you! We're not playing these games anymore! If the police have it, then they can take care of it!"

"And then what? The police let it back on the streets, have it eat some more people?"

"Why not?"

Dead silence. Sho turned to Keiko. "What?"

"Same thing always happens. We cover it up, and the police get their scapegoat. Someone dies either way. At least this way they have a chance."

The walkie-talkie crackled in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"Well, do they already have a subject they're going to railroad on this?"

No reply.

"Why not then?" Keiko continued. "We can't do this alone. And your group can't either, or they'd have done it already. We're going to find more people, one way or another."

"If anyone else dies because you didn't stop them, it'll be your-"

"It already _is_ our fault!" Sho answered. "Everyone who we couldn't save because we weren't there at the time. Or the times we had to fall back. Or what you bastards call "collateral damage." If these freaks get strong enough one day and destroy everything, it'll be our fault because we didn't prepare them!"

"Two of you, and you think you can force the war that'll break everything open."

"We're going to try."

There was silence on the other side. Then chuckling. "You keep fighting the good fight, and we'll call it acceptable costs. I trust you to have everything you need."

"Will... will they find out?"

"Probably, and that's when you're on your own."

The impound lot loomed in the distance. Sho and Keiko gave each other one last look."

"Deal."

**

Sho and Keiko rode around the impound lot. Chainlink fence, topped with barbed wire. A wrought-iron gate that opened on its side. Almost certainly protected by guards and dogs, and maybe with police as well. They quickly attracted the dogs' attention as they had intended. They threw cubes of meat at the dogs and kept going as their barking faded behind them. They made their way to the other side and saw their target: a large dumpster, apparently tied with ropes to the metal poles. They passed it and parked their bikes near a small building across the street. By now the dogs would be sedated, and they could handle the guards. The cue should be coming soon. They put on their masks and searched for their night-vision goggles. Only one thing could hide what they had originally planned.

A power pole lit up the night sky, and others followed. Sparks flew, and the electricity went off for blocks. This was it. The pair rushed back across the street, right to the dumpster. With the moonlight and their goggles they could see it. The dumpster was covered in a plastic tarp, its wheels wedged stuck, tied to the poles. Sho and Keiko quickly took out their knives and started cutting at the ropes. The guards would be coming out soon to check for trouble. With any luck, they'd focus on the area where the dogs gad been barking not long ago, buying valuable time. Sho and Keiko continued cutting, and already large pieces of rope were coming loose. The dumpster shook violently, as if attempting to force its wheels away from the wedging. It continued to buck, and the pair stopped in horror.

"What now?!" Keiko hissed. "If it doesn't stop shaking..."

Sho raised his hand to silence her. Voices shouted out in the distance calling for them for them to freeze. The dumpster obscured the guards' view of them, but not for long. He desperately sought something, anything to... he pointed towards the ground, at the wedges that had trapped the dumpster's wheels. The two reached through the fence with their knives and, when the dumpster bucked its back wheels one last time, knocked the closest pair of wedges away. It was enough. The dumpster forced its front wheels to lift just enough to roll backward and overturn the last set of hindrances. It angled itself slightly as the guards closed upon it, and charged them. The remaining pieces of rope unraveled, and it was free.

Sho and Keiko saw it collide with the first guard and heard the thud as he hit the ground. They turned away. They had seen similar things happen before; sometimes they abandoned people knowing what would happen. But they had never _caused_ it before. There were some gunshots. Rumbling, thuds screaming, and sick, wet sounds of flesh being stomped and trampled. When the noises ended, the two looked up again. Three bodies, and a living dumpster. They backed away slowly and wondered... What next.

The thing charged the fence, the only thing that saved them from being flattened at that instant. It backed up, lacking gratitude or even recognition and ready to try again. Sho and Keiko ran as fast as they could, planning to get their bikes and get the hell out of there.

The bikes were on a car rack. They didn't ask questions. They went to it, opened the unlocked rear doors and dove in. The car drove off into the night.

Sho's walkie-talkie crackled."Nice job." Sho glared as the voice continued. "It's nice to finally meet you two. And forgive the talking through here; for now, it's safer if you don't hear my real voice. You'll notice the blood packs sitting in the space between you. You'll need those as soon as the police get here..."

The two sat and gave no reaction other than to keep listening. They felt sick to their stomachs, and the night was far from over.


	3. Chapter 3: The Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own Megatokyo, which is owned by Fred Gallagher, or the Megatokyo RPG, whose material was created by many devoted fans. I also am not responsible for the D20 Modern system, its materials, or factions used herein. I would like to thank everyone involved with creating this material for the inspiration it has provided and everyone who has supported me in this project. And I'd like to thank wikipedia for the research it has allowed me.

And... I am sorry for those who waited. The darkness to be dispelled exists in more than monsters. I only wish it will be as good as it could have been.

**Tokyo Tides – Chapter 3: The Shadows**

A phone rang. Ignored, it kept ringing. Eventually, Masamichi groaned, and his wife awoke in the process.

"That work?" Meimi said sleepily. "Wouldn't surprise me," Masamichi responded as he picked up the phone. "Masamichi here." "Sonoda-san, this is Soga Kakuei of the Public Security Bureau. We need to speak to you about your last case" Masamichi paused for a moment. "...Okay... How can I help you?" "We'll explain everything when we get there. " _Get there?_ Masamichi bolted up. "Hey, wait! What's going on?" "As I said, we'll be right over." He had no answer. "I see. That'll be fine" Kakuei responded "Thank you." and hung up.

Masamichi left his bed and ruffled through the closet for his clothes. Meimi sat up.

"Something wrong, dear?"

"They probably just want me to answer a few questions about a case. You'd think they could wait until morning. I should be back soon."

Meimi nodded "Just... be careful Masamichi."

Masamichi smiled. "Always am. Don't worry about it." He left the room, and Meimi started trying to get back to sleep.

Worrying was something for him to do. Why did they want to speak to him now, of all times? Was this Nobuo's doing, to try to keep them relevant to the investigation? Had Kasu confessed after all? Masamichi stopped. Did they suspect him? He discarded the thought – it was absurd, after all. Still, the entire case had been absurd.

There was a knock at the door. Masamichi opened it. The man on the other side gave a quick bow before flashing his badge. Masamichi hoped it was just a force of habit. "Asai Rikiya, Public Security Bureau. Thank you, Sonoda-san. Please, come with me." The two stepped outside to the patrol car that was parked at the curb. "My partner is the one who contacted you by phone. I apologize that you'll have to sit in the back, but"

"I'm sorry, Rikiya-san. But I think you'd better tell me what's going on."

Rikiya turned to face him. "That's why we need your help."

Kakuei shook his head as he kept driving. "We already got all that from your station, Masamichi-san. Are you sure there's nothing else? Something we've missed. And be honest. We can't afford any more catastrophes."

_Typical_, Masamichi thought to himself. The whole thing was turning out to be a waste of time. Having gone over it again didn't even help him figure it out. How could he clear it up for anyone else? "Look, I don't understand it either. I'm sorry if I wasted your time but-"

Rikiya answered. "We apologize as well. We just hoped you had something new to tell us."

"Unless the dumpster got up and rolled away, I doubt any of my ideas would be helpful to you"

There was silence. Rikiya even turned around to face him, his face barely barely betraying how much the statement had seemed to stun him. They had probably thought he was crazy, and Masamichi had already begun to wish that they had allowed him a little more sleep. Rikiya tried to continue.

"Sonoda-san, I..."

"Why me, anyways? Isei and Seitaro found the scene. There's my supervisor. Hell, there's even the forensics people. All I did was an interrogation before we put it into your hands. Why drag me back into this?"

Kakuei and Rikiya looked at each other for a moment. Rikuya explained, "We were going to talk to Isei and Seitaro when they contacted us. A perimeter's being made as we speak." That got Masamichi's attention. "What perimeter?" "We got a report from an officer stationed at the impound lot, reporting from the radio in his patrol car. Three people are dead, and that dumpster of yours is gone." Masamichi was shocked. "You mean it actually-" "Be serious, Sonoda!" Kakuei snapped. "Someone caused a blackout," "Blackout?" "took out three guards, and pulled the fence down so they could steal it. We haven't found the bodies, but what we did find... nothing could have survived it." Masamichi scratched his head as he shook it. He was a police officer and now was no time to start losing it. It took him several moments to collect his wits. "So, this perimeter..."

"The blackout area covers several blocks" Rikiya continued, "and the perimeter we're forming is larger, of course. But there are killers somewhere in there. Once it's been formed we're hoping that the Electric Power Company will be able to get power back up. Helicopters are en route, but eta is unknown."

"Is that normal procedure?" Masamichi wondered. "It is when you've got a group capable of killing three people in cold blood and tearing a fence down. Sonoda-san, I know this is hard for any of us to understand but-"

Masamichi was resolute. "Whatever I can do to help, I'm ready."

Rikiya smiled. "Thank you, because we're going in."

"Wait. What?"

* * *

The police had waved them passed the perimeter. Now here they were, driving through the dark streets with only the lights of their own car to guide them.

"What about backup?" Masamichi asked.

"We've got other cars coming in," Kakuei answered, "but in these conditions it'd be best if we didn't rely on them. Whoever we're dealing with, they're clearly psychopathic and capable of attacking anyone at anytime. I left a flare gun by your seat. Make sure you take it in case you need to signal us. Keep alert and-" He sighed, "watch for dumpsters."

Kakuei's frustration was beginning to build as he closed the lid. "Nothing. Five dumpsters and nothing."

"This... isn't the dumpster." Masamichi pointed out.

Rikiya and Kakuei looked at him. "How do you know? Rikiya asked.

Masamichi ran his hand over the dumpster's cold steel. "It doesn't look like it. It doesn't have the feel of the one-".

Screams echoed through the back alleys. The three officers raced to find them and found two civilians covered in blood.

Kakuei drew his gun "Freeze, and put your hands in the air!"

More screaming,

"You have to help us! Please you have to help us!"

and pointing off to a corner in the distance.

"Completely hysterical." Rikiya shook his head. "Masamichi-" He saw the officer racing towards where they were pointing. "Masamichi! Gah. Kakuei-san, call for backup. I'm going after him." Rikiya raced off.

Kakuei nodded. "Right." He returned to the car and spoke through his radio. "This is Soga Kakuei of the Public Security Bureau. I need backup and paramedics here at..." He looked around,trying to shine a flashlight on a street sign so he could find out where he was.

* * *

_You're an idiot,_ Masamichi told himself as he ran. _At best it's the killers. At worst, it's a trap. You're running almost blind into the darkness. And you've probably lost your backup._ Blind corners, random turns, a run of a desperate man with a purpose. _I should stop and... No. It's here. It has to be here. Keep going. Keep turning. You're going to-_

A trash dumpster.

A trash dumpster covered in blood.

* * *

"Calm down," Kakuei put down his gun. "Listen, please, just keep calm!"

"He's a monster! He's going to kill us all!" Replied Keiko.

"Who is?"

* * *

Masamichi stared. His mind raced, trying in retrospect to decided how his body had came to this point. Had he been led here?

Even without the bloodstains it didn't look normal. Masamichi thought back as Nobue's voice echoed in his mind, _"We found some samples of it leaking into the garbage and on the bodies. Tests say it's similar to stomach acid and..."_

He shook his head. _That can't be it. That just can't be it._

"It's the dumpster! It's possessed!" Yelled Sho.

Kakuei gestured for them to calm down. "Don't worry, it's all right. Now tell me. Who did you see?"

"It tried to eat us!" Keiko cried.

* * *

Masamichi held his head. _This is insane. You're thinking it's alive. There's an explanation for everything. For the bodies. The attacks. It's a trick, someone has to be pushing it._ _Just act professional, radio for backup and..._ His eyes darted around the scene as he drew his weapon._ They could be here!_ He called out, "This is Sonoda Masamichi of the police! Come out into the open with your hands up!"

He was alone. Alone in a blacked out alley with a dumpster he had to strain to see. He could hear the whirring of helicopters off in the distance, but there would be no way to gain their attention. Not from here.

_But y__ou're not alone, are you?_

_

* * *

_Kakuei started taking notes. _Completely hysterical,_ he thought to himself in agreement with Rikiya's judgement. "Did you see anyone attack you?"

"It was the dumpster!" Sho pleaded.

"Please!" Keiko begged, "You have to believe us!"

_Whoever is behind this is very intricate, very strong, and out of their rightful minds,_ Kakuei believed as he continued writing.

* * *

_There is no other explanation,_ Masamichi decided. _It's alive. _

Masamichi looked at the dumpster again. Nothing. He closed his eyes.

He tried to fight it. _This is insane! If anyone heard you you'd be fired! Locked up in some mental asylum! You're not trying hard enough! There has to be a reason! It's not worth it to risk everything on some-_

He thought of Dai Kasu, facing murder charges.

He thought of Oniji, the teen who had been killed.

He thought of the employee who had been crushed, and the lot guards who had been killed.

_They're worth it. This is worth it. This isn't about logic. It's about justice. It's about lives. You can't believe it's alive because it's the simplest explanation. You have to know it is. _

_

* * *

_The blaring sirens of police and ambulance filled the air. Paramedics looked over the two victims as other police looked over them. In the distance, Kakuei could barely make out an exhausted Rikiya shambling towards him. He raced to meet him.

"Rikiya-san, what happened!"

"I lost him..." Rikiya gasped. "Masamichi...he's alone out there."

* * *

Masamichi opened his eyes. It was the same dumpster, and only the smallest details in its appearance had changed. And yet somehow, they were also the biggest ones.

_And you have to do this alone. No one else is going to believe you. And no one else is going to die here._

"You're alive. And you're a murderer." Masamichi stated. "And it ends tonight."

The dumpster slowly rotated, its broad side turning to face the officer.

_Oh Shit,_ Masamichi thought._ Run!_ He barely had time to leave the alley and race to the side before the dumpster barrelled after him and skidded into the street. He had even less time to run from where he was before the dumpster plowed into the wall. The dumpster was fast. Far faster than he was. He could only escape by exploiting the dumpster's inertia and its difficulty in handling narrow spaces. But he knew it would only be a matter of time before he tired out.

_Think, Masamichi! There's got to be some way to escape it!_ Masamichi saw another dumpster. Running on shear adrenaline, he hoisted himself on top of it just as the dumpster that was chasing him ran into it. Masamichi barely kept from falling off in the impact. He watched as the dumpster positioned itself between the far wall of the alley and the dumpster he was on. It opened its lid wide and, with only a foot or two separating them, rammed his own dumpster trying to force him off. It kept going tirelessly. Sonoda Masamichi started at the insides. It was full of the flesh of the dead officers, and various garbage besides. _Your gun can't harm it – it's steel. You've got to do something before- that's it!_ He took the flare gun Kakuei had left him. He aimed.

He fired.

The flare ignited the dumpster's contents. The putrid smell of burning flesh filled the air and Masamichi threw up. At first, the dumpster ignored the fire and continued its relentless assault. Then it stopped. Though its wheels never lifted more than a few inches off the ground, its wild bucking and clanging filled the air. It only lasted a few minutes, then it stopped.

The officer clasped his hands to his mouth and nose. _Is...it dead? Can it die?_

The shape of the dumpster began to soften. Its metallic hues faded to black. The dumpster itself took on an even more alien, inhuman feeling as it melted into the shadows, leaving nothing more than a bonfire and a police officer.

Sonoda Masamichi looked up. The flood lamp of the helicopter drawn by the smoke's fire glared over him. And over the helicopter blades, an altered voice called to him.

"We've done well to find you. Know that you are not alone against Shadow. We'll keep in touch."

Masamichi looked around.

He was alone.

* * *

"Alright," Rikiya stated as he poured over his notes. "Let me see if I have this correct, Masamichi-san." You were running off, alone, when you barely escaped getting crushed by the dumpster."

Sonoda Masamichi nodded.

"So you ran, and after almost getting crushed a couple more times, you ran and almost ran into a pile of... something."

Masamichi nodded again.

"So you're in the dark, and you fire the flare gun into what you think is garbage to create a light. And it turns out to be those three guards."

More nodding.

"And then they leave you alone, and we find you."

One last nod.

Rikiya sighed. "Bunch of lunatics trying to scare people with living dumpster crap. The two people Kakuei interviewed fell for it. Poor guys – fear does that to people."

Masamichi responded dryly. "You don't say."

"Look. You've had a long night and we got your statement. Go home, get some sleep."

"Uh-huh." Masamichi nodded and left.

"We'll keep in touch, and we'll catch them yet!"

Rikiya could almost swear that Masamichi had cringed.

* * *

Masamichi considered his future. He was aware of something that probably no one else on the police was. Monsters existed, and he could see them. Or maybe he had always been seeing them, and never realized it until now. Tonight was the first time he had perjured himself to another officer, and it wouldn't be the last, not when the alternative was a life in an insane asylum. This was the only way he could help people. A life of lies, and of fighting the darkness alone.

He walked up to his door and looked at his feet. It was a disk of some sort. He picked it up. It seemed like some sort of ceramic. On it was an insignia of a crossed scroll and sword, and the letters "E UMBRA FIAT LUX" were imprinted upon it.

He wished he was alone.

He pocketed the item and opened the door. His wife was waiting on the couch. He knew she had been sleeping and woke up just before he had arrived. He smiled. "Been waiting for me long?"

She smiled, "You're late again dear."

Masamichi smiled weakly. "Duty called. That case again." He greatly admired how she didn't bring up the smell of vomit.

Meimi stood up and brushed him off. "The kids are asleep. They tried to stay up for you too."

_They'd believe me,_ Masamichi thought. _They'd be so proud of how their father fought the evi-_

His eyes popped. His jacket was in his wife's hands, but he had _seen_ it this time. It wasn't speed or sleight of hand like he had long ago assumed. The jacket had slid off and moved itself through the air the foot or so to her hand. It had only been a split-second, but he saw it.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Meimi asked innocently.

"You're...you're..."

Meimi looked concerned "Is something on my face?"

"S-s-sh-sh... you're Shadow!" He blurted out.

Meimi looked like she had been hit with a beam. The jacket slid off her hand and flopped to the floor as she made her way to the nearest chair. "You know."

Sonoda Masamichi dropped to his knees. What little was left of his world shattered. His question barely left his lips.

"What is going on?"


End file.
